It’s an excellent fight in a lively division with the Gennady Golovkin vs Canelo Alvarez rematch taking place in September. The IBF belt was stripped from Golovkin after he failed to agree to fight mandatory challenger Derevyanchenko. Jacobs acquitted himself well in a points loss to “GGG” and will now face the strong, talented Derevyanchenko. They know each other well. The two are former sparring partners.

Derevyanchenko may just be 12-0 as a professional but he is a vastly experienced amateur and excelled in the pro-style World Series of Boxing format, so he has a host of five-rounders against elite opposition under his belt too.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes Jacobs, and Lou Dibella, who represents Derevyanchenko, have themselves engaged in some lively verbal sparring in the past but they have united to stage the fight in New York, with the precise date to be confirmed.

Dibella added, “So Eddie Hearn and I closed a deal for one of the best fights that can be made in the middleweight division. Imagine that … Eddie and I co-promoting a big fight! He’s still a cheeky little bastard, but I look forward to a big card … and some good, nasty back and forth.”